Home Buyers Report or Building Survey?

oscar67

I am proceeding with a purchase on a property which has a large loft space I would like to convert. I realise that I need the opinion of a structural surveyor / engineer to determine that the building is capable of taking this. I feel that a full building survey is unwarranted given that there are no obvious structural problems with the building. Can I ask that the Home Buyers Report comments on this, or will I have to have a full survey?

Alternatively would it be cheaper to have a Home Buyers Report, then get a structural engineer to comment separately?

Oh, the property is a leasehold maisonette in a block of four if that has any bearing on things.

Debt_Free_Chick

Two thoughts - you say the building has no obvious structural defects ... what about the less obvious ones?

Secondly, will you actually own the roof space you are looking to convert?

Oh, sorry - a third one. If you had a structural survey, you could get the surveyor to comment on the feasibility (but not the legality) of converting the roof space as part of the report. We did this for a number of possible areas of work when we bought our current house.

oscar67

Thanks. I have spoken with my lender and they inform me that I cannot have a Building Survey on this property through them. They will ask the surveyor who does the Homebuyers Report to comment on a potential loft conversion.

Obviously the legality needs to be checked, but I am expecting to obtain the freehold to the property which would give me ownership of the loft space.

fireuptheband

I was there when we had a homebuyers on our new property. I simply asked him, if a loft conversion was feasible.

Good luck with it.